Sometimes , it takes a little miracle to make things happen . Like two simple red balloon .
A few weeks back , we held an open house on Sunday good afternoon for the sale of our niggling farm in Ohio . With a job move to the Dixie , we had decided it would be punishing to keep the farm , and still continue to do what we have it off most – creating projects , talk , piece of writing , and of course , find meter for travelling in our spare prison term .
A persuasion of the farm from the garden
A view of the farm from the garden
Our destination was to keep on committal to writing and speaking about horticulture , DIY and the recipes we love , and re - create a variation of our farm in the south . And yes , still travel a act on the weekends too .
We have always been up for any risky venture life brings , and we plowed ahead to start the next chapter .
Without a uncertainty , we loved our picayune Licking County , Ohio farm and everything it represent . But we just feel as though selling it was the best pick .
Who knew how far a balloon could travel!
But on that fateful Open House 24-hour interval – something special fall out . From the beginning the day felt dreamlike to say the least .
The turnout was more than we ever expect . To bring up , nearly every visitor we adjoin , in one version or another , had the same thing to say . It started with : ” It is so fairly out here ” And ended with : “ It must be really unvoiced to betray and give up ” That constant theme keep diddle out to both of us , over and over .
An Amazing Story Of Two Balloons
Before the upshot , we had placed two red balloons on the mailbox at the driveway to mark the entering . At the end of the day , when everyone had left , we assume a little walk down to undo them . As we walk back to the house , and we ’re still not certain why , we suddenly had the urge to tie a little notation to the balloons and lease them fly away .
Who knew how far a balloon could travel !
We each took a balloon , and asked that whoever found them , to please let us have sex how far they had traveled . To finish , we signed them from our farm , and get them go .
We watched them slowly rise late in the afternoon Lord’s Day , and head ever - so - tardily to the northeast with the aristocratical picnic . I remember jest that my balloon , which seemed a flake inert compared to Mary ’s , might not even make it to the neighbors !
Within a few hour , they both evanesce out of site , and that was that ! We then talked about the farm , and what to do . We had three mediocre and serious offering , but could n’t quite figure out what to do .
About 7 o’clock that dark , as we were strolling through the garden , a funny affair bump . We receive an email from a farmer in Millersburg , Ohio . A metropolis about an minute or so nor'-east of our fiddling farm . It also happens to be smack dab in the middle of Amish farm land . I chuckled and severalize Mary that it had to be her balloon if it go that far , since my balloon seemed destined for bankruptcy .
As we strolled through the garden, the first email came in.
As we strolled through the garden , the first email came in .
The email was short and sweet . It said , “ I establish your balloon while walk in my corn field tonight – just require you to know it made it all the style to a Millersburg farm ” . We think at the time how ironic that it terminate up at another farm . And coincidentally , so close to our Friend at Weaver Barns , the folks that built our farm house .
A few days passed , and as we extend to discuss our farm sale choice , another mirthful affair happened . By this full stop , we had long forgotten about the balloon project . And as I sat at my desk at work , an email come across the bottom of my screen in French . I recognized the linguistic process immediately . Although I had struggled through 4 years of French in high schoolhouse , I had obviously learned enough to roughly interpret that it was about our balloon . It say :
Bonjour nous Avon trouvés votre ballon aujourd’hui 3 juillet 2018 . Nous habitons à Métis au Québec . Un farseeing voyage pour votre ballon . Les enfants étais bien content de le trouver .
Bonne journée , Jennifer
The miracle of Google translation helped us with the rest :
Our balloon found its way to a cattle farm, far far away.
Hello we encounter your balloon today July 3rd 2018 . We live on in Métis , Quebec . A long trip for your balloon . The children were well-chosen to find him . Have a well day , Jennifer
Our balloon found its path to a cattle farm , far far away .
It was attach to by the most incredible motion-picture show of Jennifer ’s two children holding our balloon with the short letter . A 2nd email watch over , explaining how they had a farm as well , with 80 forefront of cattle , and how incredible it was to get a balloon from a farm so far forth .
It was crazy to think that our other balloon had found yet another farm to call home – over 1100 miles aside in Metis , Quebec !
It made us realise something for sure . Since we first started OWG , our piffling farm has always seemed to have a connectedness with folks and farms from all over .
We never imagined 8 years ago when we first commence writing about gardening , DIY , formula and of course our little farm , that the blog would grow to where it is today .
We can still host a few farm to table dinners each year at the farm!
The websites and social media television channel now top out at just over 47 million views a yr , from a little over 230 countries the world over .
It certainly has a connection with many masses , and one that we realize we just do n’t want to lose .
And so we are keeping the farm . For good .
We can still host a few farm to tabular array dinners each year at the farm !
For now , we have lease out the small flat to a full - fourth dimension resident . The chickens are stay well-chosen in their coop and have been take on by some wonderful neighbors . And we still plan on coming back a few times a year to host some fantastic Saturday eventide Farm to Table Dinners . They are merely too much fun !
As for the gardens , the niggling orchard and our tiny vineyard , we are in the process of appear for local garden social club or folks who might need a place to set and develop for next few years . We see it as a hazard to share even more of the farm with everyone . Best of all , it will still be there to serve as an ongoing inspiration for us to write about for many years to come .
And someday when retirement come , or whenever we descend back from whatever crazy journeying we might decide to take – it will be there for us to repay to full - fourth dimension .
Who live the power of two carmine balloon . There were thousands of places they could have fallen , and yet , they found two farms , and sent a substance back to us in the process .
give thanks you to all who have followed our journey , and here is to many more years of great stories from the farm – and from wherever we might be . I pretend in the end , no matter how far we travel , it will always be our plate . Happy Gardening ! Jim and Mary
